Dean Anderson

I read this book by Robert M. Price recently, and found it to be excellent. Whilst he doesn't explicitly come out in it as a Mythicist, his conclusions - that if there was an HJ, we know nothing whatsoever about him - seem to amount to tacit support of the MJ hypothesis.

However, unlike Doherty - who is talked about often on here - I rarely see Price's work mentioned.

What is the general consensus about him and his work (and specifically this book)? Is it considered to be serious scholarship, or is he a more marginal figure?

I must admit to having a soft spot for Price, since it was comments made by him whilst "moonlighting" as an editor of short stories that first brought the topic of Biblical Criticism (and IIDB for that matter) to my attention...

spin

This seems to be the basic agnostic position. If there is not enough data to know a biblical Jesus, it doesn't mean that there's enough data to say that such a Jesus did not exist.

Interestingly, because I indicate the deficiencies in the historical jesusers' position here, I get branded a MJer. I guess the position is too subtle.

The provisionality of many things in our world is overlooked because many want unchanging viewpoints. The only thing that doesn't change is change.


spin

Ted Hoffman

Price is a fully fledged scholar (an NT Professor). I regard his work as serious scholarship though he can be quite glib at times. But through and through, he is a critical scholar, who leaves nothing unquestioned (what Niels Lemche would call 100% objectivity).
His support for the MJ hypothesis has been quite important. He has shit for political ideology though.

gregor

Aw now, use the same open-mindedness with his political writings as you do his Biblical writings. I'll grant you it's rare to find a Xian critic whose also politically conservative.